THE teenage ace was the target of the St Mirren boo-boys after Mark McAusland was booked for a lunge on him but team-mate Mark Reynolds reckons he'll get a "sore one" soon.

SCOTTISH football needs boys like Ryan Fraser if it is going to survive some of the darkest days it has ever known.

Clubs are going out of business, attendances are falling and our national sport needs players to emerge who can bring back excitement and give those not sure if they will go to a game a reason to get out of their armchairs and into the stands.

Young Fraser is one such player. Yes, he’s only 18 and it may be unfair to label him the next big thing at that age but that’s what he looks like.

Trouble is, he is getting battered black and blue every week.

Mark Reynolds reckons he’s going to get a real sore one one day but the Aberdeen defender was a little bit late with his prediction because Fraser took a big hit from Mark McAusland after an hour and hobbled out of the game.

That was bad enough, particularly as referee Stephen Finnie didn’t even award a foul for the challenge by McAusland which took ball and man.

But what was worse was Fraser getting booed off the pitch by St Mirren’s fans.

They were on his case from the moment he did his best to get out the way of another McAusland tackle in the first half but was clipped and went down.

The Saint was booked and the winger was called a cheat by the home supporters for the remainder of his involvement in the game.

That was unfair on the teenager. Was he supposed to just stand there and let the defender take him out?

That’s what has been happening every week since he burst on the scene and he can’t be blamed for any self-preservation actions he might employ.

St Mirren’s supporters did have every right to voice their disapproval of their team’s display in the second half, though.

That’s five league losses on the spin now and after a bright start to this game they lost two first-half goals and their way.

This is relegation form and the sooner they get their enforcer Jim Goodwin and creator Paul McGowan back in the team the better.

In the first half they had been bright and only bad luck denied them an equaliser after Jonny Hayes had fired the visitors ahead.

Gary Teale’s terrific cross was steered on to the bar by Steven Thompson’s head, via Jamie Langfield's fingers, and had that gone in it might have been a different story.

Niall McGinn’s seventh goal in seven games sapped St Mirren’s spirit and although the Dons’ third and fourth goals from Chris Clark and Reynolds – the latter a smashing solo effort – came late in the game, Aberdeen were by far the better team after the break and thoroughly deserved their win.

Thompson’s consolation strike barely registered a flicker of celebration because the points were practically at Perth en route to the Granite City by the time the shot hit the net.

Aberdeen manager Craig Brown still managed to look as if his dog had died at half time but he admitted he was pleased with the result, which steadied the ship after last week’s loss in Dingwall.

It gave the Dons joint leadership of the SPL on Saturday night and was achieved without the likes of Ryan Jack, Gary Naysmith, Gavin Rae, Rob Milsom and Stephen Hughes.

The injuries to his two full backs meant that Brown decided not to go with any at all.

He used three central defenders in a 3-4-3 formation and it worked a treat.

The defence was solid and in the wide areas Josh Magennis and Clark Robertson provided support going forward and cover defensively when Saints pushed forward in wide areas.

Isaac Osbourne was immense in the middle of the park, breaking up the play and setting moves in motion but it was the front three who were the main difference between the teams.

Hayes and Fraser on the flanks posed real problems for the Paisley rearguard, while McGinn’s mobility and new-found eye for goal was more than Lee Mair and McAusland could handle.

Brown said: “I’m happy with the result but we have played better in other games. In fact, we kept the ball better against Ross County last week and lost.

“But I have to be satisfied with coming to a difficult place like this and scoring four goals.”

Celtic are next up for his team at home on Saturday and although Brown will set out a team to try to win that game, he believes there is no chance the league championship flag will be flying at Pittodrie.

While his men were on fire at the weekend, he tried his best to throw a wet blanket over any thoughts that they can finish above Neil Lennon’s men.

Brown said: “I have always underplayed my hand in any circumstances.

“There’s no way anyone other than Celtic will win the SPL and it’s an opinion which I think can be substantiated when you see Celtic, with six first-team players missing, beating Barcelona.

“I hope we will be up competing but to think any club other than Celtic will win the league is either naive or optimistic.”

On the treatment being served up on Fraser, the manager was diplomatic.

He said: “He got a bad knock on the ankle which will make him doubtful for next week’s game.

“It is happening to him all the time but I don’t think St Mirren targeted him.

“The one deficiency in Ryan’s game is scoring goals. He crosses it well, he beats a man but he doesn't score enough goals and McGinn is the opposite, he scores all the time.

“McGinn would even be better if he was a bit more big-headed, outgoing and full of himself but he’s an introverted type of chap.”

Brown’s biggest job may be dampening down expectations but St Mirren boss Danny Lennon has bigger worries than that.

He has to find a way of turning periods of possession into goals – and keeping them out at the other end.

Lennon said: “I must give credit to the players as they gave everything asked of them in the first half.

“I felt we lost our way in the second half. I understand the fans’ frustrations but we must be strong just now.”